Debbie Fledderjohann's Blog (302)

No matter how you feel about the Affordable Care Act (ACA or Obamacare), it is clear that employer-sponsored health insurance has become more expensive and complicated over the past several years. This reality is forcing many companies to make difficult business decisions that are impacting everyone in the employment arena.

Experts estimate that health insurance premiums for employer-sponsored plans have gone up 80-100% in the past decade. As a result, 49% of…

As Wage and Hour lawsuits under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) continue to break records, it is important for recruiters to known the basics of the regulations to protect themselves and clients from these devastating lawsuits.

How do you feel about recruiting Millennials? If the thought makes you involuntarily groan, you are not alone. Whether or not you believe the stereotypes about this young generation, also known as Generation Y, it's clear that some recruiters are experiencing challenges when trying to place them.

Summer has FINALLY arrived (at least unofficially), and with it comes the traditional right of passage for many college students: the summer internship. Internships can be a great opportunity for both the students AND the companies utilizing their services. Of course, the intern can pick up some great…

As the popularity of contract staffing continues to grow, we have noticed a shift in the way that contractors are being used. Rather than simply being a stop-gap measure in limited circumstances or to test the hiring waters during difficult economic times, we are seeing employers building a blended workforce model that integrates contractors as part of a deliberate, long-term…

There tends to be a huge fear factor involved with contract staffing, mainly due to the misconception that it is extremely complicated and too different from direct hire. But as many recruiters take advantage of the…

A common questions we hear from recruiters who are new to contract staffing is “Where do I go for contract job orders?” Conventional wisdom has been to go to the hiring manager rather than human resources (HR).

That's because the direct hire and contract hiring processes were often handled…

The legal compliance and liability that comes with placing contractors is no treat no matter where you are located, but in some states, employment regulations are getting so complicated that recruiters are turning down contract business in those areas.

One of the biggest stumbling blocks that keeps recruiters from pursuing contract placement opportunities is confusion over determining the rates, particularly the hourly bill rate that is charged to the client company. But once recruiters understand the formula, establishing bill rates can be quite…

If you run contractor background checks, you will want to read a recent government document on their proper use.

In a joint effort, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) published a technical assistance document for employers and another for employees explaining background check laws enforced by both agencies. The EEOC is charge of laws that ensure background checks are…

There seems to be no end in sight to contract staffing's growth as the industry breaks two new records for jobs.

Bingham Consulting Professional’s Monthly Employment Review for February reported that “temporary help services” added 24,000 jobs,reaching an all-time high of 2,800,300. This is a 8.9% increase when compared with February 2013. Temporary help services (aka contract staffing) also…

If you have clients who want to bring in foreign workers on H-1B visas, they better act quickly.

Petitions for H-1B visas subject to the fiscal year (FY) 2015 cap will start being accepted on April 1 by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). H-1B visas allow employers to hire foreign workers with specialized knowledge or technical expertise, such as scientists, engineers, or computer professions. Each year, only a…

If you have clients who have 1099 independent contractors (ICs), you will want to make sure they are aware of the government's latest initiative to crackdown on worker misclassification.

While there are situations where paying workers on 1099 is perfectly legal, many employers abuse the classification, labeling workers who should be employees as ICs. This results in the loss of tax revenue for state and federal government agencies. The Obama administration has been particularly…

Although the employer mandate provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has effectively been delayed again, there seems to be a renewed "buzz" around the healthcare reform law, often known as Obamacare. Maybe it’s because workers are now required to carry insurance, or maybe companies are just being proactive. But for whatever reason, we are noticing an increase in the number of recruiters asking how Obamacare will affect hiring and recruiting.

If you place Information Technology contractors in California, you will want to be aware of a recent change to their overtime rules. The minimum rate that Computer Professionals in California must be paid to be considered exempt from overtime has been increased to $40.38.

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), most American employees must be paid at a rate of 1.5 times their regular rate if they work over 40 hours per week. However, the FLSA does allow for certain employees who…